On November 7, 2011, Farina King and her American Civilization class of about 120 students invited Code Talker Albert Smith to speak at Utah Valley University. As a part of a service-learning initiative, the students fundraised and organized the Code Talker’s visit, during which he met with UVU President Matthew S. Holland. King’s students had the chance to interview and interact with the Marine veteran. He spoke as a guest lecturer during King’s American Civilization class alongside Iraq veteran Rachel Kirby.

In the evening, Smith gave a public lecture to the Orem community. Nearly 300 community members were in attendance. Students also led a service opportunity to write letters of appreciation to local veterans. The course traced major historical developments such as wars, contextualizing the changing American perspectives and treatment of veterans through U.S. history. The class primarily focused on the intertwined histories of diverse American communities.

Read: Phoenix Indian School Legacy Project: Exploring Service Learning